FredOak

Riding home Friday something flew right into the vent in the side of my helmet and started to sting me. Got the helmet off but it was gone. I've been stung by bees and wasps but this hurt! Got home, wife helped get the stinger out.
It continued to swell despite our best efforts. By day 2 my lymph gland behind my ear was swollen like a grape as was the top of my head and started breaking out in hives...went to MD and am on rapid dose steroid and antibiotic.
All the MD could say was I was stung by something new and am highly reactive to it.
Now I wish I knew what the hell it was...sheesh like cagers aren't bad enough.

tennisplyr3

I hope that you'll bee alright!

(couldn't help myself!)

In all seriousness -- that really sucks...

Luddite

Jeez, that blows. My BF got tagged by something inside his thigh, he's kinda allergic. He has this huge welt days after getting stung.

ilmooz

This is 100% bug related yet you still managed an ill reference to cagers. How'd you do that?

Wheels4

i've gotten stung by bees and wasps... but, horse flies make me swell up like you mention. not fun at all...

Berniebikes

Take a look at Uvex helmets. They have some mesh that prevents insects from coming in the holes, at least in the front. If you are that allergic consider keeping epi pens with you....might save your life as your sensitivity can change/worsen over time

DanBraden

That is EXACTLY why I stopped wearing loose shirts when I go riding. Was riding along, minding my own business, when I felt something hit my shirt around my neck. I didn't really give it much thought until about 5 minutes later when I started being stung in the arm pit! SOB!!! Gods Cursed Bee of shtinging! Yeah, the damn thing crawled into my shirt, around to my arm pit and proceeded to make the ultimate sacrifice. I had never been stung by a bee before, but I HAD been stung by wasps without going into Anaphylactic shock, still had some tense moments until I realized that I was going to be ok. Damn bees, why does your honey taste so good? I was born forgiving them.

FredOak

Didn't want to get carried away with the story but 5 minute before the insect this idiot in a minivan decided to squeeze me out of the lane and then proceeded to turn right in 30 feet ahead, like those 2 seconds were so valuable...there that was my cager justification on a bug story!

drjava

Two weeks later, my yellow jacket attack is almost healed. It was on my ankle and actually kept me off the bike quite a while. Stupid bugs.

larue

A customer of mine came in the other day and set her Rudy Project helmet down and I noticed that it also had a mesh liner and my first thought was "genius, that would keep the bees out." Perhaps you should look for one of these when you need to replace your current helmet.

DX Rider

That's just scary.

Early this year while commuting home I had a yellow jacket sting me between the shoulder blades after crawling down the neck of my shirt.

Breathegood

It still could have been just a bee. I was stung by bees under the helmet just as you had described three times before I had any reaction to it. The fourth time, the whole side of my face swelled up. Couldn't open my eye, and my mouth was sore.....A shot in the butt, a six week round of steriods (which I suspect lead to a case of shingles), and a script for an epipen. Now, I don't ride or travel without the epipen. It was a pain to remember it all the time until I had to use it once.....Now, I NEVER forget it. Even though the time that I used it, the injection site for the epipen ended up being more painfull than the beesting.

DanBraden

Oh yeah man, people can gain allergies to bee stings, the first one is most times a free-bee (oh the pun, the pun!)

Jonahhobbes

Not as horrible, but getting a fly in your ear, trying to dig it out but still hearing it buzzing

Luddite

If you're allergic to a bee sting, are you allergic to a wasp sting (the bastards that don't leave the stinger torn off in you?)

I've been stung several times, probably 5 or more, never shown any sign of an allergy.

Pezzle

I've been stung over 10 times in my life... I kind of lost count. Never had anything more than a dime sized welt and some redness. :| I can't imagine how scary it must be to be so allergic.

pubb

WNY is awful close to here. And just last night on the news, there were reports that wasps, yellowjackets & 'bald-faced hornets' (as opposed to hairy-faced hornets?) are having a real resurgence because of the amount of warm weather & rain we've had.

Bees (bumble & honey) however are still in danger.

bmclaughlin807

I had a mosquito fly in my ear once when I was a kid. Took like 30 minutes to convince my folks that there might actually be something in my ear. Finally they helped me rinse my ear out with peroxide and out floats this drowned mosquito.

MikeR

Ya know, horse back riding helmets have screened vents but cycling helmets don't. I've always wondered why. I'd by one with screens.